Varied Workout The Key To Success
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday May 6, 2003
Are you a regular exerciser, training 3-5 times a week using the same gym program and/or exercise class?
Are you lifting the same weights, doing your 10-12 repetitions, in the same order?
Do you run/ride at the same level or speed or use the strider on the same program thinking "Well, that's my 20 minutes of cardio done!"
If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, then maybe it's time to inject some challenge into your exercise routine and take your training to a higher level.
For a training benefit to occur, i.e. physical changes such as improved muscle tone, increased strength, reduction in body fat etc, you need to ensure that your body is "challenged with intensity, duration or frequency of exercise to which it is unaccustomed" (Powers and Howley, 1994.)
In other words, to achieve body changes you need to take your body beyond its usual comfort zone.
Doing the same workout week after week will only enable you to achieve the same kind of result and maintain your fitness and strength at the same levels.
It is important to note that there is a difference between progressive exercise overload and excessive exercise overload.
Excessive exercise overload, often referred to as over-training and can result in illness, injury and fatigue.
In contrast, the correct use of appropriate progressive exercise overload techniques such as interval training will give you a training advantage and enable you to more easily achieve your specific training goals.
Interval training is one of the popular techniques you can incorporate into your training program to help overcome the exercise plateau, and stimulate your body's response to achieve increased physiological changes.
Interval Training is a method of training to improve aerobic or anaerobic fitness.
Interval Training is alternating between harder and easier degrees of intensity and duration during your workout.
For example, you can introduce an incline to your treadmill run/walk program; alternate a random or interval program with a hill on the strider or bike; introduce a run at paced intervals as you walk on the treadmill; or gradually increase the run time.
A well-planned and implemented interval training program that combines variety with appropriate exercise challenges can greatly assist you to achieve the training results you are seeking.
Remember that proper exercise technique should never be a secondary consideration ie: let intensity take priority over technique.
Always ensure that you can perform the exercise using correct form.
For example if the weight is too heavy and you are unable to maintain correct form it is imperative that you decrease the weight you are using.
Results are obtained by maintaining correct form throughout each set and not by lifting heavy weights that only serve to increase your risk of injury.
Correct use of progressive overload techniques will ensure that your exercise program enables you to achieve effective results. Happy, healthy effective training!
Article supplied by The Forum Sports and Aquatic Centre at The University of Newcastle
Web site: www.newcastle.edu.au/sport
Ph: (02) 4921 7001
© 2003 Newcastle Herald